Déjà Vu
by Aitri
Summary: It's been three years since Connecticut and Wendy is living with her mom and sister in Michigan. Little does she know but she’s about to get pulled back into matters from beyond the grave. Matt needs her and she’s willing to give up everything for him.
1. Chapter One

**Authors Note** - The Fanfic is told from Wendy's point of view.

**Déjà Vu**

Chapter One

_She flitted through the twilight. Sanguine was the smile upon her lips and enthusiastic was the shimmer in her eyes. Shafts of dying, golden light danced across her face, exaggerating the whiteness of her hair and the paleness of her skin. Her feet padded softly upon the frigid pavement, chilling her partially frozen toes. A laugh spilled past her colorless lips and her gray orbs sparkled with enjoyment. Grazing a slender hand over the folds of her periwinkle dress she let slip another laugh, to describe it would be like explaining the thoughts of a child on the flickering stars so untouchable in the night. The lavender sky dims to navy and soon the entire landscape is bathed in moonlight._

_ I was a silent witness, just the dreamer. I was aware of being asleep but curiosity kept me watching as the delusion continued. The colors faded and the word became black and white. The girl disappeared into a nearby house and I followed, unaware of any terror. The place was familiar, but my clouded mind was too stubborn to spend too much time figuring it out so I just continued to dream, venturing throughout the home, trying to find the girl. A laugh attracted my attention but before I could turn my sight the surroundings changed. I captured a glimpse of blue eyes and the scent of smoke before jerking into consciousness._

* * *

Cold. It was thee first sensation I experienced upon waking. My eyes opened slowly, foggy from deep sleep. Tangles of hair hung all around my face as I propped myself up on my elbows, a twitch of a frown on my face at the frigid weather. Wasn't it supposed to be warm in September? The dream hung lazily in the back of my mind, but I pushed it further away. It was meaningless to me. I would forget it later anyway. My feet untangled themselves from the cocoon of blankets I had created last night with my constant movements. I tended to roll around in my sleep, Mary had told me this a while back when we used to share a room.

I stumbled out from the bed, taking my time to select clothes for the day before wandering out from my bedroom to the bathroom just across the hall. My gaze rested on the reflection of the mirror as I walked in, a small chuckle escaping at my ragged appearance. At least I had an excuse - it was Saturday. Today I would be driving out to New York to spend a few months with my aunt and uncle so I slept in a few hours to prepare for the long drive.

A shiver ran down my spine as I stripped off my Pajama pants and shirt before stepping into the walk-in shower. My finger traced over the glass door before I closed it. It had been three years since the last time I had been in a curtained shower. I had my reasons for this odd behavior. Only one person knew them.

Eventually I was clean and trudging down the stairs, a hoodie adorning my torso and a pair of jeans hanging off my waist. The house was quiet. It was the weekend so mom was out grocery shopping and Mary was with her friends. I padded across the family room, wiggling my toes into the plush carpet. The silence was a bit unnerving but I did my best to ignore it, softly humming a tune as I helped myself to a bowl of cereal.

I was excited; there was no getting around that. The last time I had seen the Campbells was two years ago when my sister and I were moving back in with our mother and had to say goodbye. I had sniffed back tears when I bid farewell to my aunt and uncle but broke down when I had to say goodbye to Matt. We had grown so close over those years and it was heart breaking to know that he couldn't be there for me forever. This would be the first time I'd be seeing him since his cancer went into remission.

_ 'I wonder what he looks like now. Not so skinny I guess.' _I mused while scribbling down a note for mom. I placed my dishes into the sink before an abrupt and loud bang caught my attention. I yelped loudly and spun around, eyes darting around for the source of the noise. My pulse raced and my breath hitched in my throat. I found myself unable to move. Fear gripped my limbs and too many horrid memories rushed behind my eyes.

_'This can't be happening. Not again.'_ My cell phone began to ring and I lost it, falling to the ground and pulling my hands over my head, a sob escaping my lips. I stayed in this position for a while, minutes or hours I couldn't tell. My cell phone rang once more and I pulled it out from my jeans pocket, my breathing slowly coming under control. The therapist had warned me about this, reliving the moments of the days in that house. I had no idea it would lead to such a frantic panic attack.

**2 New txt msgs.**

I managed to hoist myself back onto my feet before opening the first message, feeling slightly silly about my overreaction now that my brain had a grasp on reality.

From - Unknown

_One bright day in the middle of the night._

_Two dead boys got up to fight._

My thumb moved inhumanly fast over to the second message, my calm completely destroyed.

From – Unknown

_Back to back they faced each other._

_They drew their swords and shot one another_

My phone rang with a third message and I selected it instantly, even though I already had a pretty good idea of what was written.

From – Unknown

_A deaf policeman heard the noise._

_So he came and killed those two dead boys._

A second bang from the kitchen doorway caught my attention and I looked up, a gasp escaping my lips as I took in the sight before me.

He stood on shaky limbs, a bloody hand limply grasping the phone he had used to text me with. His light brown eyes were haunting, dark circles beneath them from many sleepless nights. His entire presence radiated fear and I felt myself backing away until my back hit the counter. My world spun around me. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think, the only thing I could manage was to pant out a single word. A solitary question that with every fiber of my being, desperately prayed wasn't true.

"Matt?"


	2. Chapter Two

**Authors Note** – Okay, just to clear up any confusion, Wendy is nineteen in this Fanfic and Matt is eighteen. I'm not so sure if that's accurate as to the movie but I thought that would be a good age to put them at. Your reviews are inspiration! Thanks!

**Déjà Vu**

Chapter Two

It's called déjà vu, the feeling of having experienced something when in reality it's the first time it's happening. I've had several encounters with it in my life, each of those times at completely insignificant moments. I never thought much of it, just a feeling right? But as I stared into his cold, brown eyes a familiar tingling ran down my body. My heart slowed, and everything seemed in slow motion. The cell phone gripped loosely in my cousin's fingers was released and as it fell to the floor I tensed, feeling like I could see every piece fly as it shattered against the ground. Minutes ago my life was normal, and now it was breaking apart just like the phone, piece by piece.

"What are you doing here?" I breathed, somewhat composed even with my recent panic attack. Matt stared at me face-to-face, the only sound in the room was the drip of blood falling from his motionless arm. He swayed slightly.

"Didn't want to hurt anyone." His words were slurred and pained. He leaned to the side again and I barely managed to dart forward and catch him before he collided into the floor. His hand wrapped around my arm and he leaned his head upwards, meeting me in the eye. "Jus' started driving. I knew where to go though. Came to you."

"What happened?"

"I don't remember." He winced as I brushed up against his arm. I noted his pain and slowly inched up the sleeve of his hoodie; already grimacing at the blood staining it's gray color a dark crimson. A long laceration ran down his forearm, a tear straight through the muscle.

"Matt." He turned his gaze to the floor, half lidded eyes staring languidly at the hardwood. "Matt!" I said louder, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look me in the face. A rush of déjà vu came over me but I pushed it aside, going to the matter at hand. "What can you remember?"

"Something happened. So I came here."

"But what happened? Why did you text me that story?"

"I don't know! It just…" He paused. "It just went black."

"Did you do this to yourself?" I motioned to his arm.

"No."

"Matt, I was supposed to drive out to New York in about an hour and I find you in my house. I just suffered an agonizing panic attack and you happen to be five feet away. I can't survive this paranormal shit again! Connecticut is over. Jonah is gone."

"This isn't Jonah."

"Then what is it?" I couldn't explain that moment. As soon as the question tripped off my tongue the world slowed back down. Matt's arms came around me, pulling me close to his warm body. I inhaled, the smell of him permeating my mind as I found myself unable to react. His grip tightened, real life caught up.

We lived together for three years. I was by his side when he fought cancer, and I was there when he recovered. I was with him through the weeks in Connecticut and I stood by him as we watched that horrible house burn down. We were close, but we understood the boundaries and respected them. I missed him so much.

He broke away too soon, a slightly embarrassed flush crawling up his neck. As we separated I took in his appearance for the first time, noting that he had managed to regain the weight from his time in chemo and radiation. He had a healthy tan to his skin and his hair had grown considerably, hanging in shaggy curls just below his ears. The only thing that had remained unchanged were those dark bruises beneath his eyes. I wondered if they would ever go away.

"Missed you, Wen." He said softly.

"Missed you too." I pulled myself back on my feet. "Let me take care of your arm, and you can tell me what's going on."

* * *

"No, he's fine… … … I don't think so. Can you tell me what happened? … … … Well he can stay here for the night… … Alright… Mary is at a friend's and my mom had to go on an emergency business trip or something…"_ Emergency business trip my ass._ "Thanks Sara. I'll take care of him." I snapped the cell phone shut, sighing loudly. Even Aunt Sara had no clue what was going on. My gaze went to the living room where Matt sat silently with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. Apparently he had just freaked, driving off in the middle of the night with no explanation, just wrinkled note with only one word.

_Déjà vu._

I trudged back into the living room, plopping down heavily onto the couch next to Matt. He made no reaction to my presence, staring emotionless into space. My hand went to his bandaged arm and as it touched the exposed skin his eyes instantly went to me, sending shivers down my spine.

"Sara told me you could stay here in Detroit for the night." I announced. "You want to tell me what's going on?" He exhaled, unwinding his arms from around his legs and leaning back into the couch. I could tell he wasn't so sure if he wanted to confess what had been happening. "If you don't want to talk-"

"No… I'm here and there's a reason for that." He ran a hand through his hair, like he usually did when thinking. "I keep getting this flashbacks. Their like clips of my life, but from someone else's eyes. And almost all of them are from Connecticut." He paused, casting his stare to the floor to avoid my eyes. "But when I get these flashbacks, it's almost like I black out, and when I wake up, well, I have a vague idea of what to do next, like when I drove here. I don't remember leaving the house, but halfway to Michigan I woke up and kept on driving, like I had already done it before."

"Déjà vu" I muttered.

"What?"

"Sara told me that when you took off you left a note. It said déjà vu. The feeling of having already experienced something-"

"When it's the first time it's happened." Matt finished. He looked up at me, realization dawning on his expression.

"I had a dream last night."

"So did I." It was overwhelming, that presence. We already knew what had to be done, but neither of us wanted to confess it. I was tired of the paranormal but it had to be dealt with, and if that was going to happen we had to face the past.

"We have to go to Connecticut."


	3. Chapter Three

**Authors Note** – Sorry for the late update, living farther out forces me to use poor Internet service. I kind of rushed writing this chapter so I'm not too satisfied with it but I'm going to be really busy for the following week so might as well post it up now. :)

Oh, and just to clear up any confusion this story will NOT have incest. Bleck. Matt and Wendy just have a really close bond so no romance there. Your reviews are awesome! Keep it up! Thanks!

**Disclaimer** – I don't own Haunting in Connecticut.

**Déjà Vu**

Chapter Three

When I was nine years old I officially renounced the theory of the supernatural. When I was eleven even the mention of ghosts or spirits made me laugh. When I slept in a dead boy's bed, heard the flap of burdened wings, saw the tragic blue eyes and smelt the burning flesh, the belief of ghost's wasn't so improbable anymore. We were haunted once, and it was happening again. I was scared – no – I was terrified of what could happen in Connecticut.

We had decided to drive out that day instead of waiting the night in Detroit. Matt made the decision himself that he would drive, but I tried to dissuade him, worried about his exhaustion and the fresh injury on his arm. He ignored my argument and climbed into the drivers seat, letting me into the passenger before starting the car and heading off. We were three hours in now and neither of us had said anything since leaving.

The world was dancing by, but I could barely focus on it. Trees with muted green flitted past in the dying colors of the sun, casting twirling patterns across the road ahead and making everything even more surreal. The cold air inside the car was to the point of being painful, but I kept silent about my discomfort, pulling the hoodie tighter around my torso to try and conserve some heat. My eyes went to Matt, sitting calmly in the drivers seat, his hand resting gently atop the steering wheel, only tensing his grip when their was a turn on the road or another car. His eyes were half-lidded but luminous in the soft light. The bluish-gray orbs were so beautiful but the only thing my mind could focus on were the faint scars desultorily scattered across his features. Remnants of the nightmare he survived.

Was it really worth it? Going back there? I mean, the house was gone, the spirits were released, but I was still afraid. The fear made me feel childish but I couldn't get rid of it. I wanted to know if Matt felt the same way, but in his distant and equivocal emotions kept me from talking to him about it. He was tormented in that place. His mind decimated and his physical appearance marred, but he never talked about it.

"You okay, Wen?" Apparently my discomfort hadn't been as subtle as I thought and Matt was concerned. I averted my stare immediately, twisting my hands together awkwardly as I shuffled my mind for a response.

"Just a bit cold." I muttered, settling my eyes on his bandaged forearm. The white exterior was beginning to taint crimson and I was concerned at the way he winced every time it was jostled by a bump on the road. Apparently my mediocre medical skills weren't sufficient enough.

"That's not what's bothering you." He noted, never lifting his eyes from the road to look at me directly. I felt my stomach knot but kept on the carefree demeanor.

"How can you know that?" I asked in an almost teasing manner, trying my hardest not to look how I felt – afraid.

"We lived together for two years, I think I'd know when your upset." He replied. A strand of dark hair had fallen in my eyes but I didn't swipe it away, my mouth was dry and my eyes were cast downward, I couldn't move. "You're scared."

"Aren't you?" I couldn't hold it back, my voice was shaky, on the point of being a frightened whisper. The idea of what could occur in Connecticut was overwhelming now. My mind twisted grotesque images of the future and each one was more horrible than the previous. "Everything's happening too fast… … We should have stayed in Detroit."

"This can't wait, Wendy." He was different than the Matt I remembered. Sure, he had been distant before, but now it was even worse, like he was in his own reality and the world didn't exist to him. There was a presence around him, something I couldn't explain but with every glance grew stronger.

"I can't just leave my sister in Michigan while I run off to Connecticut." Just an excuse, that was all it was.

"You said she was with friends for the weekend. She'll be fine." I cursed his rationality.

"But why Connecticut? I thought that was over." It was a slim chance he would know the answer to my question but I asked it anyway, unable to keep it back for long. Matt stayed silent after my question, his hand tightening so much around the steering wheel his knuckles were almost pure white. I regretted asking immediately.

"Look, Matt, I'm sor-"

"You remember when I died?" His interruption was sudden and the question was unexpected, but I answered anyway.

"S- Sure."

"And you remember when they brought me back?"

"How could I forget?" That event was branded into my memory, whether I wanted it or not.

"I may have brought something back with me."

"What does that mean?"

"It means that when I died, something clung on, and when I came back I brought it with me." He glanced over at me as much as the road would allow, his teeth gritted in either pain or anxiety I couldn't tell.

"So it's… Controlling you?" I tried to grasp the situation but my mind simply couldn't fathom it.

"No… Not controlling. Influencing."

"It influenced you to hurt yourself? To text me the story?" I was just confused now.

"I don't know… It's just… There."

"Can you see it?"

"No… Just presence." He fell silent after the question. I pulled my legs onto the seat, crossing them and idly playing the threads coming loose from my jeans. I welcomed the quiet; it gave me a chance to think. If the presence that Matt was feeling was similar to the déjà vu I had been experiencing then whatever was affecting him was beginning to affect me as well.

"We will be able to get in the house right? No one lives there?" I asked softly, keeping my gaze focused downwards.

"We're looking for new tenants so it's empty." He muttered, absently scratching at the bandage wrapped around his forearm.

"You have a key?" I asked.

"Yeah." He fell silent again and this time I accepted it, even though it made me anxious. My head rested weakly against the window; my stare following the seemingly endless road until I fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

_I could hear it, see the movements behind the sheets and hear the rustling as it twitched wildly beneath the bed. My fingers inched closer but before they could make contact another dark shape invaded my vision. I scream, the light goes out and all I can see are two red-rimmed azure orbs before it goes completely dark._

"Wendy… … Wendy, we're here." I felt a hand on my shoulder, gently shaking me into wakefulness. Matt's voice echoed through my mind but it took me a few seconds to fully register his words. My eyes opened slowly, momentarily blinded by the glare of the car light. Matt was outside of the vehicle, leaning against the open door and watching me patiently. I propped myself up on an elbow, quickly wiping away the drool that accumulated on the corner of my mouth as I tried to shake the weariness that followed my sleep.

"Huh?" I drew a hand over my forehead, swiping back the messy dark hair that had fallen in my face and releasing a heavy sigh.

"We have to go in now. Come on." I faintly recalled him grabbing onto my hand, almost forcing me out of the car and leading me forward into the dark. I stumbled along the path sleepily, the only light to guide us streaming out from the crescent moon peaking in the night sky. The Aikman house was a few yards away, it's silhouette so mysterious in the silver light. My heart beat rapidly in my chest but I followed Matt without hesitation, my fingers curled so tightly around his wrist I was afraid I could have been hurting him. My thumb brushed over the watch he wore and as it shone a soft green light I could feel my heart beat even faster.

_11:57 PM._

_One bright day in the middle of the night. _


	4. Chapter Four

**Authors Note** – Well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving so I hope you all have a great day! Here's the new chapter. (It switches from first person to third person occasionally, so I suggest reading it slowly so that it doesn't get confusing.) The italics mean that Déjà vu is speaking.

**Disclaimer** – I don't own Haunting in Connecticut.

**Déjà Vu**

Chapter Four

_She was a guide for them, but how could they understand that?_

* * *

Everything was louder in the silence, even the rushing of my heart, sending blood pulsing through my body to the point where I could feel it pounding through my head

* * *

_She brought them there to keep them safe. But they had to hurry if she could explain everything to them, to make them fully understand the calamity of their predicament. The first one had seen her before, felt her presence more strongly than the second. They were directly in the tear between existences, the hole left by a haunting. This was the closest she could ever get to them, the strongest her presence could come to contact._

_

* * *

_

I watched as he unlocked the front door and stepped inside, no hesitation in his steps. I followed, crossing the threshold only to stand paralyzed in the entrance.

"It hasn't changed much, has it?" They had used the original structure design. It was still the same damn house.

The angry souls held her back, watched with unfulfilled longing at the one person that could cross them over.

Matt said nothing to my comment, just trudging through the house like he already had a destination in mind. My left hand still gripped his wrist tightly, letting him lead me out of fear of being left alone. We turned no lights on, just kept on trudging forward in the dark and quiet.

* * *

He had died once. Slipped over the brink and let the spirits grapple on. They wanted to help him cross over; instead he pulled them over the edge and back into the living world.

She was one of three spirits. They called her Déjà vu. She was the weakest presence but she was the only one that desired no bloodshed in the crossover back into the afterlife.

* * *

Everything had been rushed. I followed Matt blindly into this mess too quickly and I couldn't pull out. Was I really that loyal to him? Or was it just foolishness?

He stopped abruptly and as a result I ran into him, a startled yelp bursting from my throat before I fell backwards, a bit surprised as I pulled him down with me. We were both expecting to land instantly but instead we continued to fall.

* * *

_They came closer and closer to her, the presence she emitted becoming stronger and stronger as they inched closer to the brink, along with the presence of the other ghosts.  
_

_

* * *

_

Pain showered at me from all sides as we plummeted into complete darkness, feeling Matt's arms tighten around me protectively as we barreled down what I surmised to be a staircase. The entire world was slipping by and never in my life had anything been more surreal. I couldn't see anything and the only reality I could grasp were my cousins arms around me and the knowing that we were still tumbling downwards.

When we finally came to a stop it took my brain a few minutes to keep up with what had just transpired. My breath came out in heaving gasps, my arms pulled around my torso and my eyes darting around frantically for any motion, any light. I was vulnerable, confused, and afraid; my only safety was Matt's shallow breaths tickling the top of my scalp, knowing that he was still there

* * *

_ Wendy was her name. She was caught in the rip of a haunting, so close to the ghost world without even knowing it. Déjà vu strengthened her presence as much as she could around the living, barraging the girl's mind with her messages, with her explanation and her warnings.  
_

* * *

I had never been so confused, so lost in the world that I lived in. The warmth of Matt's arms still tightened around me was the only sense. Everything else was so foreign, so strange and new.

* * *

_"Wendy?"  
_

_

* * *

_

It started out as strange flickers of silver light, forming a person as it began to accumulate. The silhouette was silver while the form was translucent, the only light I could see in oblivion. She began to take shape. I could see the ghost that had been haunting Matt, the one that had made him come to me, made him hurt himself and send me the same story we had heard as children. She was a faint silhouette in the darkness. Sanguine was the smile upon her lips and enthusiastic was the shimmer in her eyes. She flitted in and out of my vision, like the static on a television, reappearing in random places.

_"Wendy?"_ Like scanning a radio to find a certain station her voice was smothered, out of tune and unreal. I found myself pressing closer into Matt's motionless form, snapping my eyes shut only to find that even with them shut I could still see her.

_"I have to tell you something."_ She whispered. Cold. Everything was so cold.

* * *

_"This isn't how we usually communicate." She said shakily. "If you let me come in, I can explain all of this."_

_"How?" Wendy was getting closer, her fear beginning to diminish._

_"Just don't reject me." She had met Jonah in a brief moment of crossing. He told her how to speak with the living, how to send them messages. He knew that his charge would become infected so he passed the responsibility onto Déjà vu.  
_

* * *

I watched the ghost come closer, taking in her pale appearance. She looked like the girl from my dream. She was the girl from my dream.

_"You call my presence Déjà vu and you blame me for this haunting."_ Her voice was becoming clearer, an ethereal sound. _"You blame me for your cousin's current state. But this isn't my hand. I'm just presence, not contact."_

"Wha-… What?"

_"Your cousin is infected. When someone dies they are meant to stay that way. He was brought back to life along with the souls of two others and myself. The other two ghosts are still clinging to him for guidance, trying to figure out a way to get back into the afterlife. They believe the only option is to kill the host." _She paused, almost like she was thinking about how to explain this to me._ "They want your cousin to die, so that they can slip back into where they belong."_

"This isn't Jonah?"

_"They've been infecting him for three years, presence growing stronger until they had contact."_

"What is-… … What is contact?" My breathing was still rapid and it was hard for me to speak.

_"Ghosts who have been close enough to a living organism for long enough begin to have control over it. They can be violent or just subtly influence their host. This is what the living call a haunting or possession."_

"So is that why his arm was slit? They tried to kill him?"

_"I barely managed to stop them from completely taking control. I made him leave his home and drive to you. I influenced you both into driving here."_

"Why Connecticut?"

_"Because there are few places on earth where the living and dead can mingle. This place is a rip between the living and the dead. At this place the ghosts infecting your cousin can finally go back to the afterlife. And I can go back with them."_

She flickered out of view and was gone, leaving me in the quiet once more. My senses began to clear and my panic abated. The darkness didn't seem so terrifying anymore and my momentary paralysis was gone.

"Matt?" No response. "You okay?" My fingers curled gently around my cousin's arms, slowly easing his death grip from around my shoulders.

_'When someone dies they are meant to stay that way.'_

"Matt… Wake up." I almost begged.

The lights flared on and I was blinded momentarily. Black spots pulsed in front of my vision before fading away, finally allowing me to take in my cousin's appearance. His cold brown eyes stared up into my own through strands of curly brown hair. His mouth was open slightly, allowing harsh breaths to escape from between dry lips.

I could feel Déjà vu's presence around me but as I continued to gaze into those brown orbs another presence made itself known. Realization dawned on me with painful harshness.

_Matt's eyes are blue._


	5. Chapter Five

**Authors Note** – A few days ago I was browsing the Haunting in Connecticut Fandom and chanced upon another story also titled Déjà vu. I just want to make sure that everyone knows that this fanfiction has nothing to do with that story. It just has the same name.

Anyways, it took me a while to write this chapter but I did it. Writers block has kept me in a rut for several days but I think I've managed to pull myself out of it, I even threw in a special character that I'm sure you'll all recognize. ;) Never be too shy to review! They're inspiration and I love hearing from my readers.

**Déjà Vu**

Chapter Five

Rational thinking would have made me stay in Michigan. Rational thinking would have never let me follow Matt into this madness. Rational thinking would have made me leave him to face everything on his own. Emotions kept me close to him. Devotion kept me by his side, even when it was the Matt I remembered.

The frigid tile of the basement bit into my side but I never moved from my position. My hands fell slowly from Matt's shoulders, one of them going out to stroke back the hair from his eyes. I stared curiously into those brown orbs, trying to figure out the separate presence that loomed above him.

_"They want to crossover now."_ Déjà vu's voice was wavering, from a clear sound back into scratchy intonations. Her presence was fading. She couldn't maintain a form. I pulled my hand back from Matt's face hesitantly, pushing myself onto my palms slowly. My heartbeat quickened as his gaze followed my movements.

"Matt?" My voice was barely above a whisper, hardly recognizable as my own.

_"He can't hear you. It's not him."_ I turned my head to see Déjà vu's figure flickering in the far corner of the basement. She moved slightly and within seconds she was in front of me, standing above Matt's motionless body, her colorless eyes peering curiously down at him. The smile had disappeared from her thin lips, replaced by a disgusted grimace. I shivered as the air became just a little bit colder.

"What?" I breathed. When Déjà vu didn't answer I pulled myself closer to Matt, my fingers curling over his forehead. My touch did nothing. He stayed immobile, emotionlessly staring up into my eyes

* * *

_She could see them - grotesque souls writhing around inside of the youth's body, controlling his movements and emitting dangerous presence. She abhorred them. They were parasites._

_"Samuel. Tragedy." Her voice went out to the separate ghosts, not to Wendy. She wanted them to listen to her, a final, desperate proposition to return to the afterlife without the spilling of innocent blood._

_Her gaze went upwards, noting a shadow figure in the blinding world of the living, not yet fully defined but the presence unmistakable. A sliver of hope crossed her mind but it was darkened as a second silhouette crossed her vision._

_"You wish to stay damned?" It was a threatening tone that repulsed her to such measures the presence she let out chilled the room and frost began to accumulate on the high windows._

_"These people have lives to live, Samuel. We were never meant to interfere. There is still time to end this without death."_

_"Enough with these games. You said it yourself, when someone dies they are meant to stay that way."_

_"I brought them here for a reason."_

_"You only delayed his death and now his cousin has to watch him die."_

_"This place is a tear between the living and the dead. We can go back home." She inched closer to the ghost, emboldened by anger. "Stop."_

_"Tragedy." The ghost turned to the side, letting another spirit cross her sight. Black sludge slid from its open mouth, dark brown eyes filled with malicious intention._

_"You can wait here for Jonah. We're going home."  
_

_

* * *

_

"Wendy…" Matt's fingers twitched, his body convulsing slightly. _"Wendy? …"_ My cousin's voice was gone, all that remained was a harsh, echoing and haunted tone, twisted together with another sound I could not distinguish. His movements were forced; his entire presence was someone else. Thick black liquid dripped from his open mouth, accumulating on the floor to dribble in rivulets to my knees.

"What's happening?" I looked pleadingly up into the faint whisper of a silhouette that was Déjà vu.

_"They've waited too long. They're killing him now."_

"Help him!"

_"I can't."_ I crawled over to my cousin, grabbing onto his shoulders and pulling him closer so that his head lolled weakly in my lap. He gagged on the viscous substance slowly seeping up his throat, his hand going up to grasp mine limply.

"You brought us here, tell me what to do!" Fear of the paranormal was replaced by the fear of losing Matt. Three years ago his life was ripped away. I could never forget watching him being carried lifelessly from the blazing house. The overwhelming grief that he could be gone forever had been consuming and lingered on even after he had been brought back to life. I never wanted to feel that anguish again.

_"I can't. Not now."_

"Why?"

_"No presence can influence him like the first."_

"What is that supposed to mean?" She didn't intimidate me anymore.

"Jonah." I felt Matt stir in my arms, looking down just in time to watch his eyes flicker from their normal blue back to the dark brown.

"But Jonah crossed over. This isn't him!"

_"I told you before. This place is a tear."_ The specter faded away, leaving me staring up into one of the lights hanging from the basement ceiling.

My first reaction was to pull Matt closer to me, my heart throbbing painfully at the sound of him struggling to breathe. My arms were wrapped tightly around his shoulders, my chin on his forehead and my thoughts rushing from one corner of my mind to the next. I had never been close to death; with no understanding of it I could do nothing. Tears stung the back of my eyes but I held them back, wishing desperately that all of this was just a horrible dream. The situation was surreal and extremely out of my control. Why do bad things happen to good people?

* * *

_A whisper of a shadow, a soft blue that grew stronger with every second – he was taking form. She passed by the separate ghosts, ignoring their threatening glares and their intimidating presence. Her gaze focused on that one spot, that one silhouette as it began to become clearer and clearer. A slight frame held confidently. Two piercing blue eyes, so inhuman it was hard to believe that they were once his living gaze._

_How could one have so much knowing of the dead while living and so much knowing of the living while dead?_

_"Jonah?" Her voice was tentative. Only once had she felt his brief presence, understand his knowledge of the living as he passed it on to her. His pale lips twitched a smile, a confirming tone that made Déjà vu smile as well.  
_

* * *

Conscious told me that the ghosts remained, a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that told me they were still watching. I kept my eyes closed, tightening my grip around my cousin and whispering a prayer. It was the only thing I had left.

_'This is the stupidest thing I could have done.'_

_"Wendy?" _I squeezed my eyelids shut, a strangled sob escaping my throat. Cold liquid seeped down my arm and I didn't have to look to know that it was what was killing Matt.

'_He's going to die… And so am I.'_ Just like before with Déjà vu, even with my eyes closed to the world around me, I could faintly make out three transparent figures in the darkness of my mind. They faded in and out, like a slowing heart beat becoming dimmer and dimmer.

"Wendy?" A warm hand fell upon my shoulder, the fingers curling gently across the cold fabric of my hoodie. I allowed my eyelids to drift open slowly, releasing my breaths in slow gasps. The hand squeezed and I looked up, feeling no happiness or sorrow, relief or fear, just a peculiar knowing of what would come to pass.

Jonah's azure eyes scintillated in the yellow light, a small smile on his young face. The warmth of his hand puzzled me but I questioned nothing, moving only to swipe away a strand of dark hair that had fallen from behind my ear.


	6. Chapter Six

**Authors Note **– I'm so evil to keep you all waiting, but I bring a new chapter now so rejoice!

Merry Christmas. :)

**Déjà Vu**

Chapter Six

"Wendy?" I expected a harsh, grated sound but his voice was soft, barely above a whisper. His piercing blue eyes stared straight down into my own, his hand tightening around my shoulder, making me tense. I tightened my arms instinctively as Matt stirred once more, his eyes opening and closing and an occasional cough shaking his body.

"…" I couldn't find my voice, my gaze going downwards just to avoid his. My mouth went dry so I stayed silent, hoping he would continue speaking. The warmth of his hand was becoming a comfort from everything else so cold.

"Do I scare you?" He asked, a little hurt.

"No… No you don't." He looked so human, so alive. He was warm when everything else was frigid. I could hear him breathing. I could almost hear his heart beating. His voice was real, not some paranormal whine. He showed emotion when the other specters only let it out in their presence. "How are you here?"

"I'm not." He removed his hand from my shoulder. "Not in body, I mean." His smile diminished but his eyes never lost their intensity.

"You look so alive." I muttered.

"I've spent enough time as a living and with the living to know how to imitate one." His voice stayed soft, never rising, never falling.

"Can you help?" The solitary question painted a variety of separate themes, but the only one that I could think about was saving my cousin's life.

"Yes." He freed me of his stare, letting his gaze roam the basement, his expression austere. I took in his presence. It's humanity comforted me from everything else so foreign.

_"Lies."_ My eyes went down and a shiver traveled up my spine at Matt's haunted voice. His chest rose and fell with effort, a twisted smile altering his face to the point it looked like he was happy to be in pain. _"Jonah, you can do nothing._" He chuckled before another set of coughs wracked his frame, the black liquid still seeping heavily from his mouth.

Jonah said nothing, only staring down at Matt with curious eyes. I stayed silent with him, not wanting to aggravate my already deep affairs with the situation. Déjà vu's presence hung in the back of my mind, trusting Jonah enough to fix the predicament we had found ourselves in. Every conscious, alive or dead, was quiet.

_'Please end this Jonah… I just want this to stop…' _It was a habit I was well known for - wishing for something and just expecting others to immediately understand what I was thinking. I knew I had to voice my desires but as I stared up into Jonah's azure eyes I began to wonder if he could still hear me, even as I remained silent.

"Samuel. I can help you." Jonah muttered, never taking his attention off Matt, even if he had heard my plight.

_"Leave us be, medium." _The specter spat the last word, letting a look of disgust wash over my cousin's face._ "I've waited three years and I'm not going to wait any longer. I've taken care of my crossing."_ Matt's body started to convulse. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and his teeth clenched shut.

"Jonah!" I nearly screamed. The ghost came closer, hovering just above me before kneeling down to look me straight in the face. I stared back paralyzed, my mouth hanging open stupidly.

"Hey, Wendy." He said it softly, in a casual tone like anyone who called himself my friend would use. I wondered how he could remain so temperate in such a dire situation, speechlessly observing his expression, looking for any emotion other than the sedate smirk on his lips. I found nothing.

"I need you to do something for me." Jonah continued. He inched around until he as kneeling just behind me, pressing ever so slightly against my back and leaning to the right so that his chin almost rested on my shoulder. His warm hand covered my frigid ones, pressing down on them so that I put pressure on Matt's quaking shoulders. "Hold him there." He removed his hands. I missed the heat of his skin instantly.

_"I'm sorry I brought you here."_ Déjà vu whispered from somewhere in the shadows. I felt her shame but stayed quiet, silently agreeing to her statement but not wanted to let my anger show in words. I felt Jonah come around me once more, sitting calmly on my left side, watching as Matt continued to seize.

"Wendy."

"Yes?"

"Can you do one more thing for me?" A few tears slipped down my cheek but I ignored them, refusing to let my emotions get in the way. Nodding hesitantly I kept my expression placid, cursing the tears that continued to fall despite my attempts to keep them back. "It will take a while to get them out of Matt's body but as soon as I do, crossing over will be instantaneous." He paused, taking a moment to wipe away my tears with his finger. "When all four of us are through, I can keep any other spirit from crossing over, but I can only do that for a limited time, so you're going to have to close the rip."

"How?" I choked.

"Just stay close to it. Let your living energy heal it."

"What does it look like?"

"You'll know when you see it." He leaned forward slightly, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. A small gasp stole my breath but I never pulled away, relishing the feeling of his warm lips on my skin.

Why?

"I hate to see you cry." He pulled away, focusing his attention on Matt. I kept my cousin from shaking too much just like Jonah had asked, trying to keep the recent kiss from hindering my actions. A flush slowly crept up my neck and I hoped he didn't notice it.

"Come out." The medium whispered, placing his hands on the sides of Matt's head. My cousin thrashed, trying to jerk his head from Jonah's grip. I pinned his torso down, beginning to doubt if Jonah could really save his life. Déjà vu hovered above me, the chill of her presence putting me on edge.

_"You are fully alive, Wendy. This is why you are here. You can close the tear once we go through. I see this now."_ Her voice was directed to me, heard only by me. I bit my lip tenderly, trying to drown out everything around me.

_'It will be over soon. It will all be over soon…' _I lifted my eyes to Jonah, beginning to wonder if I would be sad when he was gone. His young face showed determination as he tried to force the ghosts out from my cousin, those beautiful blue eyes still shining.

_'It's a curious thing.' _Matt's back arched upwards, the black liquid no longer running down from his mouth but stretching upwards, like ectoplasm. _'How fast this all began.'_ Jonah watched the substance, his mouth set in an emotionless line with a slight glaze of pain coating his countenance. The cold became unbearable and as veins of white began to lance up the dark ectoplasm I closed my eyes. A loud screech sounded through the air then everything went quiet.

_'It's a curious thing how fast this will all end.'_


	7. Chapter Seven

**Authors Note** – Last chapter! I know this was a pretty short fanfic but since it's my first chaptered piece I thought I wouldn't risk making it drag on too long. Thanks for reading and even bigger thanks for reviewing! (Sorry about the really, really late update.) Enjoy! (And review!)

**Déjà Vu**

Chapter Seven

I regretted waking up. The oblivion would swallow me whole. There was little difference between keeping my eyes closed and opening them. The darkness was overwhelming, making the place seem so desolate, like there was no existence beyond those empty shadows. All feeling in my body was gone, replaced with a curious ache and my brain felt scattered and sluggish. I wondered if Déjà vu was still watching over me. I wondered if Matt was still in my arms, if Jonah was still at my side. The dark had taken them away from me. I wanted nothing more than to fall back into blissful sleep.

The ache faded away slowly, letting me take in my current position. I was lying down, my legs curled to the side and my arms sprawled outwards. Dark tresses hung messily in front of my face but I made no motion to brush them away. I simply waited in the gloom, trying to trace any whisper of light.

I managed to prop myself up on one elbow but couldn't gather the courage to proceed further. A soft beam of moonlight began to make itself known to me and I welcomed the comfort of something familiar, my eyes drifting upwards until they fell upon the source of the light – a small window just a few feet above. I bit my lower lip gently, letting my eyes adjust to the dark until I could faintly distinguish the silhouettes of what was around.

Pushing myself unsteadily onto my feet I looked around the basement for anything remotely resembling a human form. Out of instinct my hand went to the wall for support but I pulled away the instant my palm brushed against the bricks. A thick substance coated my fingers, sticky and dark like pitch. It covered the wall, dripping down in gooey strands that reeked of rot. Pure disgust transformed into nausea but with nothing in my stomach it was only temporary. I swiped my hand on my jeans, rubbing off the substance compulsively before stumbling forwards in the darkness.

_'When all four of us are through, I can keep any other spirit from crossing over, but I can only do that for a limited time, so you're going to have to close the rip.' _Jonah's instructions lingered in my thoughts, our quick meeting still replaying over and over in my mind. If I closed the tear then I would never see him again. If I closed the tear the dead would leave us alone. Matt and I would never be bothered by the paranormal again. It was necessary for our safety.

"Matt?" I called out, letting my foot press softly against what I believed was the first step up the basement stairs. Gentle blue light streamed down from above, drawing me away from the surreal darkness that was the basement. I stretched my hands out, guiding my way up the stairs with shaky steps. My feet padded gently against the wood (I hadn't a clue about where my shoes had gone) and my eyes were focused upwards.

I staggered onto the main floor, instantly scouring the space for any sign of my cousin. My breath came out in slow sighs, my eye roaming around freely. The black substance covered every inch of the walls, the smell becoming so overwhelming I felt that it would knock me unconscious. It was on my hands again but I didn't wipe it away this time. The only thought on my mind was finding my cousin and closing the apparent rip. Whatever this was would have to wait for later.

"Ma-!" A sudden thump from upstairs cut my cry short. Several more thuds followed like footsteps, drawing my eyes towards the staircase leading to the third floor. I forced myself to move, careful to avoid any contact with the walls. My legs were already sore but I struggled up the stairs anyway, my hand occasionally going to the banister for support. I tried to control my fear, think about the better memories of those days. But no matter how hard I tried all I could ever recall were the horrid moments, those moments when I was truly afraid for someone's life or my own.

At the top of the stairs I paused, swallowing the lump that had developed in my throat. Nothing had been changed up here either, just some new wood and a slap of fresh paint beneath all the black substance. Every room was in the exact same place. Even the dumbwaiter remained. I knew it wasn't the same house, but couldn't help but tremble as I trudged over to the most familiar door, letting my fingers wrap around the handle. My forehead went to rest against the wood, heavy breaths falling from my open mouth. This place would always be dreaded. Nothing could change what had happened here.

'_What does it look like?'_ I twisted my wrist and let the door open. The room was adequately lit by moonlight; the walls clean unlike the rest of the house. Despite a single chair it was devoid of furniture. It was the room I remembered. It was Jonah's room.

_'You'll know it when you see it.' _Cheerless was the frown upon my lips and sorrowful was the shimmer in my eyes. Rays of dead moonlight fell lifelessly upon the room, revealing the peeling paint and stained hardwood. My feet fell upon the floor, the coldness of the ground having no effect on my numb toes. A breath spilled past my thin lips, my gaze focused on one thing only – the faded painting of a tree; periwinkle birds perched upon its thin branches. It was something that didn't belong. It was something that shouldn't have existed.

_'Just place your hand on it.'_ My fingers traced down the pale wall to brush against the winds of the first bird. I went down on my knees, letting my hand fall over the tree.

_ 'Hey, Wendy.'_ I was a silent witness, just the dreamer. I closed my eyes to see his face; the world around us was black and white.

* * *

_ Jonah stood directly in front of me, a sad smile on his lips and a tinge of regret in his blue eyes. His fingers brushed against my hand before closing completely around it in a small gesture of gratitude and affection._

_"I won't see you again, will I?" I asked._

_"No." Jonah replied. "You won't see any of us again. Nothing can cross over now thanks to you, Wendy." He squeezed my hand gently._

_"So Matt will be safe? No more ghosts?" Tears began to roll down my cheeks._

_"You will both be safe. I promise." I didn't understand his affection towards me yet I couldn't help but love him back. There was no reason for the fondness we held. It was an instinct, a feeling of safety whenever I could feel his presence. I would never know where this peculiar bond came from. I would never understand the reasons as to why we were drawn to one another._

_ Déjà vu glided close to us. She was smiling._

_"Goodbye, Wendy." Jonah whispered, brushing his lips against mine before fading away. Déjà vu followed and I was left alone._

* * *

I opened my eyes to a blank wall. The tree was gone. The wood was no longer stained and the paint was no longer peeling. A glance to the open door behind me confirmed that the black substance had disappeared. Tears stained my cheeks and more continued to fall from my wet eyes. I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them before weeping into my hoodie. I cried for Matt. I cried for Jonah. I cried for Déjà vu, Samuel, and Tragedy. I cried because it was the only thing I could do.

It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. Once the tears stopped coming I knew that I couldn't stay there forever. My hand went up to my face, hastily wiping away the remaining streaks. The floor creaked with the footsteps of someone coming up behind me but I didn't turn around to look. They knelt behind me, warm hands falling onto my shoulders and a shaky breath fluttering across the back of my head.

"Wendy?" Matt's voice was like a ray of sunlight piercing through a veil of dark clouds. I didn't hesitate to spin around, hugging him furiously as if he would disappear if I ever let go. He fell back startled, a small whimper as his back hit the floor a little too hard.

"You're okay…" I tightened my grip around him. A few coughs shook his body but he said nothing, simply putting his arms around me in a return embrace.

"What happened?" He asked quietly, fear dripping throughout his voice. His breathing was slow, his eyes half-lidded in exhaustion. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." My grip on him loosened and I separated. "Do you remember anything?"

"I remember falling down the basement stairs. Then black... What happened to you?" He leaned up, releasing a shaky breath with some effort. His hand went to my forehead, brushing away the hair, a concerned frown on his face. "You have a bruise."

"A lot of things happened…" I smiled weakly, wiping his hand away from my face. My gaze was downcast, my voice tired from crying. "We won't have to worry about ghosts anymore. I took care of it." The explanation didn't seem to satisfy him and he stared questioningly at me.

"Wendy, what happened?"

_Sometimes it's better not to know_. I stared into his silver-blue eyes, conflicted on whether or not to tell him about what had transpired. I wanted to spare him the details, smile and wave it off like it was nothing. But he needed to know.

* * *

Neither of us spoke. Neither of us wanted to speak. Headlights from other cars flashed through the vehicle, illuminating it momentarily before letting it fade back into darkness. I gripped the steering wheel loosely, staring blandly at the yellow streaks disappearing beneath the car. The clock read 4:37 A.M. Matt sat motionless in the passenger seat. We held the silence; for the first time it was comforting.

_Two more days. _I sighed, rubbing my arm distractedly. It was what we believed to be a rational decision – going back to Detroit. Neither of us was ready to face Matt's family, not without a convincing lie at least. We needed a few days to take in what had happened. The emotional toll was excruciating and I regretted sharing it with my cousin by telling him what had occurred. His life had been on the edge more than once now. It would have been better if he didn't know; than at least one of us would have had less weight on their shoulders. The interior was lit up again and out of the corner of my eye I could see Matt watching me.

"What?" I shattered the quiet, glancing over at my cousin.

"You're crying." He stated. My left hand flew up to my eyes, surprised at the wetness on my cheeks. I had been crying without even being aware of it.

"Huh." I muttered, wiping at my face with the back of my hand.

"You okay?" Maybe he knew it was a stupid question, maybe he didn't. Three years of recovery I spent, taking back reality, only to have it all ripped away in one day. My cousin didn't know about my peculiar affection towards Jonah. He didn't need to know about the grief I experienced in knowing that I could never see the ghost again.

"I'm just tired." What a pathetic excuse.

"You've been through a lot, Wen." He sympathized. "Do you… Need to talk?" The way he said it seemed unnatural. It was obvious he didn't have a good history with the phrase. I gave a weak chuckle, pushing my hair behind an ear.

"Thanks, Matt, but I really just want to go home and sleep." A pleading look towards his direction managed to convince him to stay quiet. He reached a hand out, placing it on my shoulder and gently rubbing circles in a small gesture of brotherly love. I smiled gently, reaching my left hand over to place it on top of his.

"Missed you, Wen." He said softly.

"Missed you too." I said nothing about the sense of familiarity I experienced while talking. My eyes stayed focused on the road, holding back tears I didn't understand.

Cold. It was cold.


End file.
